How to design fashion applications

This study examines what features of mobile fashion applications have the most impact on brand loyalty. The aim was to find out which (technical) features influence customer loyalty of a fashion application and how these features can be used to systematically design one that goes beyond the browsing and selling functionality.
To find out which features are of influence on the loyal use of an application a the literature was reviewed and two case studies were conducted on the successful fashion apps used by Zalando and ASOS. This resulted in the identification of 6 main features concerned with mobile, social, and brand aspects, that are subsequently used as a framework for structuring app design in this area. The six features are virtual interactivity, system quality, reward, name and logo, brand content and brand design.
An important conclusion of the literature research and the case studies is that the success of applications may be largely influenced by the unique way in which an application implements the feature of "virtual interactivity" i.e., the extent to which online users may participate in adjusting their personal content in real time. Furthermore the feature of "system quality" and "psychological reward" are also expected to have a large impact on the willingness of customers to use an application and to stay loyal to it.
Using the 6 features as guidelines a low as a high fidelity prototype for a new a fashion application, namely FitYourStyle was developed, tested and evaluated. For the low and high fidelity prototypes, a user-centered approach was used following the guidelines of Tang \& Hämäläinen. This methodology shows that it is essential to involve the intended users of an application in all stages of the process to make sure user needs are met.
The low fidelity prototype was based on wireframes and mockups. It is interactive in the sense that one can “click-through” the functionalities and interpret it via visuals (mock ups). This prototype had the purpose of providing insight into the functionalities the whole fashion app should contain and which ones are the most critical to pursuit within in this study.
An important result of this work was that innovative aspects were prioritized in the specification, development, and testing of the High Fidelity Prototype. The innovation was specifically concerned with the unique virtual interactivity features of the FitYourStyle application with which it aims to distinguish itself from its competitors, e.g., to allow users to provide their specific measurements to the application easily and effectively, and to allow them to mix and match clothes from their wardrobe with their online purchases of clothing.
The prototyping and testing proved to provide valuable information for the improvement of the design, and for what further research work is necessary. The tests show that the basic idea appeals to users, but that it may be necessary to find a way to quickly make clear to the user what the specific new functionalities of FitYourStyle are. More specifically the visual communications could be improved concerning gestures and icons. Furthermore, it may be necessary to implement 3D virtualization (virtual mirrors) instead of static pictures, to make the application sufficiently attractive and competitive.
All work leads to the conclusion that virtual interactivity, system quality, and personal reward are the most important features promoting customer loyalty. This is supported both by the literature study and tests that were conducted within this project.
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